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Kids are spending an increasing amount of time online, just take a look at Gen Z.However, the internet is not a place one can always count on to keep things age appropriate.

Thankfully, there area number of parental control software programs to help make the web a safer placefor the youngest of eyes. Options for free parental control software are varied, but one of them is sure to suit your needs.

Optimal Compatibility Many find it ideal to have parental control software that can be easily used on any device. The following programs are not only free, but also available on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

Qustodio Qustodios parental control software is also available on Kindle and Nook. Its free version allows you to set the rules, time schedules, and blocks adult content.

There is a paid version geared towardsolder children that monitors SMS messaging, social media activity, and per-app controls. This all encompassing software covers its bases, making it easy to see why it is one of the most preferred programs.

K9 Web Protection K9 Web Protections parental control software offers what Digital Trends referred to as phenomenal cloud-based filtering. It allows users to block websites by category, and keeps activity reports. Users can set time schedules and override settings with parental passwords when necessary.

OpenDNS Family Shield For parents looking to protect their entire household from unwanted material, Family Shield offers optimal filtering. This parental control softwarefromOpenDNSautomatically blocks flagged domains.

Additionally, this software stands out because it can be applied to your routerit filters all traffic that passes throughsimply by changing the DNS server numbers found in your control panel. By doing so, every device that connects to your network will benefit from the filters.

Kidlogger and Spyrix Free Keylogger Those wanting to be more covert can look to keylogging programs such as Kidlogger and Spyrix Free Keylogger. Though both are considered parental control software, theyre mainly a way to monitor your children after the fact through the tracking of keystrokes, web history, and program use. The phone app version also logs phones calls by number and contact name.

These programs are not be ideal for younger children, but are better suited for parents of teens who want to preventonline bullying or other undesired activity. Working With What Youve Got Computer systems are not a bad place to start your search forbasic parental control software. They provide a convenient and seamless source for restricting and monitoring internet features.

Windows Family Safety Windows 10 requires that you open an account with their Family Safety feature if you wish to access their free parental control software. Features include activity reports, and the ability to block any sites, apps, or games. The software also allows parents to customize the time scheduling and control the childs purchasing activity.

Add to that whiletracking your childs physical location asthey use Windows mobile devices and you have an extremely versatile parental control software built into yourWindows OS system.

MacOS MacOS doesnt have specific parental control software, but it offers more than a few options for parental controls, all of which can be accessed under the Parental Controls pane in System Preferences. These include blocking applications and websites, customizing who your child can message with, and setting time limits.

This system also has thehelpfulability to hide profanity in most content, prohibit the computers built-in camera, and halt any disc-burning. Users can remotely manage parental controls for multiple Macs on a single network, too.

Looking to Browsers Itisnt all that far-fetched an idea that browsers can seamlessly incorporate parental control software. This option works bestfor younger users, as older kids and teens can easily navigatearound it.

Zoodles Zoodles is a kid-friendly web browser essentially keeps the security features within the browser, making it easy for parents to avoid when they are the ones surfing the web.

The browser serves as a walled garden: all of its content is kid-friendly with zero risk of anything inappropriate popping up. By combining filtered browsing and a dedicated web browser, Zoodles is designed to appeal to younger children.

FoxFilter FoxFilter affords users blocking capabilities based on individual keywords and sites while being able to add trusted sites. The softwares sensitivity can be tweaked to scan body content as well as the title and URL.

This add-on can get tricky as it heavily relies on keywordsif one uses too many they may find themselves blocked from most of the internet. However, there is free email support offered for this add-on to help new users learn their way around it. Available on both Google Chrome and Firefox.

LeechBlock for Firefox and Nanny for Google Chrome Productivity control can be a highly valued feature not only for the children but for the adults too and these extensions are the solution in such cases.

LeechBlock for Firefox and Nanny for Google Chrome both block particular sites at specific times of the day. For example, Facebook is typically blocked from noon to 6 p.m.. Additionally, these extensions let parents limit the amount of time their children can access a certain website without having to block the domain entirely.

As technology becomes more incorporated into childrens daily lives, the need for parental control software will only continue to grow. This software is quicklybecoming more user-friendly as they develop better means to help parents protect their children from the dark side of the internet.

Original post:
BOSS Magazine | Protect Your Kids With Today's Best Free Parental ... - BOSS Magazine

If you're in the managed IT services business, there's a good chance you use open source software to help deliver services to clients.

In order to make the most of open source, it's important to understand the different strategies that can add value to open source platforms.

In other words, if you're an MSP, you should understand how open source code which is usually (but not always) given away for free can be leveraged to provide products or services that people are willing to pay for.

This is a topic that has been central to the development of open source and free software since they emerged in the 1980s and developers who gave code away for free began thinking of ways to make money.

Open Source Business Models

Over the years, free and open source software developers have tried a number of different strategies for monetizing their software.

The main ones include:

This list is not exhaustive.

Other open source business models have been tried, sometimes with success, over the years.

But for MSPs, the five open source business strategies discussed above are the ones that are likely to be of greatest interest.

Again, that matters if you're in the managed services business and use free or open source software.

You need a way to convince your customers that obtaining that software from you, or getting your help in managing it, is a service worth paying for even though the software itself is free of cost.

See original here:
Five Ways MSPs Can Add Value to Free and Open Source Software - MSPmentor

Read to know why adopting free software can stop WannaCry like cyber-attacks in the future.

The world is still under the shock from the recent WannaCry attack. Though experts claim the situation is under control, they don't rule out the possibilities of more such attacks in the coming days. As per reports, WannaCry ransomware (a type of malware) affected approximately 230,000 computers in 150 countries, bringing regular operations to a halt in many places. The most affected are America shipping companies and healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. The impact of this attack is comparatively low in India.

Want to keep your computers safe? Experts suggest adopting free software

Ransomware is a malware (or a malicious programme) which encrypts files in computers or smartphones and makes them unusable and demand money for decrypting the files. In the recent attack, which is considered one of the massive ransomware attacks, crackers were demanding $300 to $500 bitcoin for decrypting the file.

WannaCry is the name of the ransomware that targets the Microsoft Windows operating system. This malware was used to launch the WannaCry ransomware attack on May 12. Sometimes it uses different names like WannaCrypt, WannaCry, WanaCrypt0r, WCrypt and WCRY, to name a few.

Crackers used the loophole present in Microsoft SMB Protocol to spread this program to other computers. All machine running the version of Windows operating system before windows 10 without MS17 -010 security patch are prone to this ransomware attack.

Fixing a problem permanently lies on how better we understand the root cause of the problem. I don't think anyone can build completely foolproof programmes or an operating system that is not prone to any sort of such attacks.

But a programme and its source code under public scrutiny can identify the loopholes in the system and patch immediately before crackers exploit that vulnerability. This is the main reason all major malware attacks are mainly affecting proprietary software like Microsoft Windows operating systems.

When a user does not have any control over the programme that she is running, the program controls the user. That also makes it is easy for someone else to take complete control over that computer or smartphone. In the case of free software, user controls the program and the source code is open for everyone to access that in turns make free software very much secured compared to any other proprietary software.

Unlikely from the past, nowadays, free software operating systems (GNU/Linux ) are more user-friendly and easy to use. Ubuntu, Mint, Debian Fedora are widely used PC operating system with a greater community support. By taking a decision to migrate from proprietary operating system to a GNU/Linux operating systems, you are not only staying safe but also become part of culture and community who believe in sharing and collaborating.

The malware is spread on the network by leveraging the vulnerability in "Server Message Block" (SMB), a network protocol in the Windows Operating System. Last month it was revealed that the software "EternalBlue" developed by the American National Security Agency (NSA) and has used to leak personal information using this security vulnerability. WannaCry is believed to be using the same software. The unholy alliance between the American IT giants and the National Security Agency is no more a secret.

Edward Snowden, a national security contractor, was one of the first persons to disclose this illicit relationship between the NSA and American IT giants which revealed the massive surveillance programme targeting the citizens with the direct help of American IT giants.

Hence, any long-term solutions need to be discussed and developed outside the ambit of the unholy alliance between the NSA and IT giants, the free software way.

(The writer is a software engineer and a member of Free Software Movement Karnataka)

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WannaCry: Free software is the way forward - Oneindia

Hackers offering free anti-virus software to battle against the WannaCry infection say they have had thousands of downloads since releasing their work online.

One hacker who goes under the twitter name @HIBC2017 says he spent 36 hours designing an anti-virus programme that directly protects computers from the ransomware which has infected an estimated 200,000 systems worldwide since Friday.

"The problem with anti-virus software is that it can take you a while to get set up whereas, with the code I've designed, it can protect instantly," he told Sky News.

"I've put it online for free and made it so you just click on a few buttons."

"I've had more than 5,000 downloads so far which is brilliant but I'm just happy that I'm making people's lives easier."

Other so-called "white hat hackers" have also designed and released free anti-virus software to the masses to fight against the "black hat hackers".

The author of "Tearstopper" says their software has helped around 2,000 people protect themselves.

Microsoft also released a patch to help secure computers from the vulnerability that the WannaCry ransomware is taking advantage of, but thousands of users are clearly making use of the work of more amateur hackers, who often work in bedrooms just for fun and curiosity.

The coordinated attack on Friday hit the NHS and dozens of countries worldwide. It is believed to be the biggest attack of its kind.

Evidence suggests a group linked to North Korea was behind the hack, according to security experts.

It is widely known that 22-year-old UK security researcher, Marcus Hutchins, discovered a hidden "kill switch" which managed to slow the spread of the attack after discovering a weakness.

Other hackers have offered advice and collaborated on work to understand the virus.

Many hackers are apparently angry with this attack as it crossed a line by harming the work of doctors in the NHS.

Some hackers say they are now determined to help the authorities track down the culprits. "There's a lot of talent out there doing this around the clock," @HIBC2017 said.

"It's just a matter of time until they're caught and many people will be helping in any way they can."

Read the original:
Hackers offer free anti-virus after ransomware cyberattack - Sky News - Sky News

Surprisingly good free video editing tools tried and tested. Which free video editing tool is best for UK users in 2017?

Making good-looking home videos is now easier and cheaper than ever thanks to the huge array of free video editing software. The range of high quality, free video editors available at the moment in simply amazing.

Whether you want to dabble in animation, add special effects like in Batman Vs Superman, or go for something simple but professional-looking there's a free video editor that's perfect for you.

Here, we've even included a few packages that have been used in Oscar-winning Hollywood movies, hit TV shows like Red Dwarf, and by NASA.

HitFilm 3 Express is an excellent choice for those looking to create professional level content, especially if you have a penchant for special effects.

Lightworks and DaVinci Resolve are geared towards the precise editing and cutting of clips and scenes that professional TV and movie editors require and are perfect for long and complex editing jobs.

If you want to try your hand at animation or 3D-modelling in your movies, then Blender is an incredibly powerful tool to use, although you will spend a fair amount of time learning the ropes.

For those with simpler demands though, you would do a lot worse than heading back to the old faithful of Windows Movie Maker. It's easy to use and has decent features for creating fun movies to share online with family and friends.

But of course since they're free, why not get them all?

Find out more about each of the video editors mentioned here and several more options below.

If you're looking for more serious video editing software, you might want to go for a paid option. The most popular include Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro.

HitFilm has been around since 2011 and in that time the software has gone from strength to strength - it is definitely one of the best free video editors around.

HitFilm 4 Express is the free version currently on offer, and includes a surprising amount of the features youll find in its big brother HitFilm Pro, albeit without the 300 price tag.

The interface is clean and makes sense without too much explanation, but if you do find yourself getting lost then the raft of tutorial videos on the HitFilm site will get you going once more.

While HitFilm 4 Express is a standard video editor, there is definitely a lean towards special effects, and the package includes 2D and 3D compositing capabilities, automatic motion-tracking, plus green screen removal tools.

Perhaps the most alluring part of the Express experience is the wide wealth of expansion packs that you can buy for between 8 and 20. These mean you can upgrade the software over time, adding only features that you actually need.

One particular favourite of ours was the Sci-Fi Adventure pack (20) that allows you to quickly add light sabers, laser bolts, and a number of other specialist effects for a low entry cost.

If thats not your bag then some of the others packs include lens flares, colour treatments, atmospheric lighting, and even classic film stock.

Get HitFilm4 Express here

Blender is a hugely powerful open source software suite primarily used for the creation of 3D modeling and animation.

In fact its so capable that its been used to create animations for the History Channel, TV adverts in a number of countries, special effects on series ten of Red Dwarf, and demonstration videos for NASA.

It was even found on the set of Spiderman 2, when animators put together special effect storyboards for the director Sam Raimi using the software.

So why is it included in this round up? Well, aside from the fact that you can create animated features or shorts on Blender, it also has a fully fledged video editor built-in.

Clips can be placed on a timeline, edited for length, overlapped with others, and joined with a range of transitions or fades, just like on any other package.

Various advanced features can also be accessed with a little effort, including 2D and 3D motion tracking, compositing of animated objects and real footage, plus even some nice camera correction tools that can deal with lens calibration and image stabilisation.

As Blender is an open source project the documentation can be a little random at times, but the healthy user forums mean that you can usually find the answer to your question without much difficulty.

You will of course have a fair few questions because there is simply so much you can do with this software. If Blender was on sale for a couple of hundred pounds it wouldnt look out of place. The fact that you get a package like this for free is.well, ridiculous.

Get Blender here

It's hard to believe that BlackMagic has made DaVinci Resolve Lite completely free.

It's widely used for colour correction in Hollywood movies because of its power. And yet, despite this being the Lite version, there are hardly any features missing compared to the Studio version which costs around 300.

Ok, so it can't do multi-camera editing, nor can it do 3D. You also lose some features such as noise removal, 4K mastering and HDR grading, but other than that, this is the same stuff the big boys use. This is definitely one of the best free video editors.

That's a bit of an issue when it comes to learning curves as this is not something you can pick up in an afternoon and end up with a masterpiece.

But it's worth investing time as you really can create one when you've learned how to use all that power.

Get BlackMagic DaVinci Resolve 12.5 Lite here.

There's also a Public Beta of version 14 available here.

Lightworks has been used to create Hollywood movies, including the recent The Wolf of Wall Street with Leonardo DiCaprio.

There are free and Pro editions, but the main difference is the output formats and you are limited to 720p resolution.

You dont get project templates, scrolling titles and other fancy effects, and instead it focuses on providing precision tools and clip handling.

Videos are imported and organised into bins and racks, and rooms are created with editing layouts. Video clip handling is very database-like with multiple views, searching, sorting, tagging and so on.

Its designed to enable teams of editors using multiple workstations to create two-hour movies containing dozens of scenes and hundreds of clips. This would be impossible with the other video editors.

The editing tools are very powerful and they offer a fine degree of control that other video editors dont have.

Video and audio tracks, of which there can be many, can be independently edited, so you can cut a section of video from the middle of a scene leaving the audio and cut away to show something else, then return while the audio continues to play.

The flexibility you have when joining scenes is excellent and in and out points can be finely tuned directly in the timeline.

There is a limited range of special effects like transitions, but TV programmes and Hollywood movies rarely use anything other than fade from/to black.

Lightworks is aimed at professional video editors and it is fascinating to use a tool employed by Oscar-winning Hollywood movie editors. It doesnt do a lot, but what it does is brilliant.

Get Lightworks here

Of all the video editors on test, this one is the hardest to use and it is initially quite confusing. It has a lot of features, but their function is not always immediately obvious, but it is worth persevering because it is capable of some clever effects.

In VSDC you create a project and this has a number of scenes. Each scene has a number of objects and these can be video clips, photos and other items.

You can apply various effects to the objects in a scene and there are a lot of them to choose from.

The brightness, contrast, hue, saturation and other attributes can be adjusted, objects can be flipped, skewed, rotated and so on, there are fire, water and plasma effects, and several transitions.

Video clips can be trimmed and cut into smaller parts, and moved around. Then there is a whole series of audio effects too.

The editor's effects are numerous and flashy, but they lack the simplicity and precision of the pro editing features in Lightwave.

If you want to do things like picture-in-picture, add speech bubbles with text, overlay lines, rectangles, and ellipses, then VSDC is the tool for the job.

The range of output formats is excellent and there are presets for the PC, DVD, iPod, Xbox, Playstation, mobile phones and more.

Videos can be output to DVD, VCD, AVI and MPG too. It will even burn CDs and DVDs. VSDC has more features than any of the others and is worth considering.

Get VSDC Free Video Editor here

Avidemux is a specialised video editing tool and it is not a general movie maker.

Only one video clip at a time can be loaded and so it is not possible to create a movie by stitching together scenes from several sources, so it is best used as a tool to prepare clips for use by another movie editor.

After loading a video clip, the start and end can be trimmed by setting in and out markers. There is a preview window and a wheel control used for moving forward and back through the video and you can step through it frame by frame.

It is possible to add an extra audio track, such as music, to a video.

What Avidemux is best at is manipulating the output. There are eight categories of filter and numerous items in each category.

Among the options are add borders, add a logo with alpha blending, change the frame rate, crop, fade in and out, rotate, flip and resize.

You can adjust the brightness and contrast, hue and saturation, reduce noise, sharpen edges, and more.

If you had clips of different sizes and frame rates, as you might if you have used different digital cameras, camcorders and mobile phones over the years, Avidemux could be used to make them all the same size and frame rate before you use them in another video editor to make a movie.

There are some useful presets, such as DVD, 720p, PSP, SVCD and so on. Despite some useful features, this editor is of limited use though and error messages are frequent.

Get Avidemux here

YouTube Editor is a web-based video editor designed to allow you to manipulate videos intended for publishing via YouTube.

It doesn't have loads of features, but if you've got a simple video that you are planning to upload to YouTube it could be just what you need to add the finishing touches to it.

Get YouTube Editor here

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The best free video editing software of 2017 - PC Advisor